Raising Bilingual Children: The Most Successful Methods

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By: Christina Bosemark

As the saying goes, there are many ways to skin a cat, and so there are a multitude of strategies for raising bilingual children. Among all these choices, one thing remains constant -- a children’s love for predictability.

Have you ever noticed how poorly many children handle change and how they thrive when on familiar turf? When you’ve read that same story every night for two months, you’ll know what I mean. Certainly, kids learn languages under the most chaotic conditions -- just look at the average dinner table scene -- but some predictability within the chaos spells safety and security, which in turn promotes learning.

Most multilingual families have discovered that a fixed language system in the home greatly reduces the tendency for children to mix the languages -- or worse, the flat-out refusal to speak the second language. One parent expressed it perfectly; “I’ve noticed that when Anna gets overwhelmed by something, she just tunes out. I guess that it is the toddler safety mechanism against information overload.” Kees van der Laan continued, “But I really don’t want her to tune out my Dutch, so my wife and I agreed on a language combination that we can both live by, while keeping it simple for Anna. I feel that the consistency is ultimately more important than which kind of system we use.” In choosing your system, you’ll absolutely need to consider what will work best for your family, but here are the two most popular methods:

1) One Person, One Language (OPOL) is the most common family language system in use. For instance, Kees speaks his native Dutch, while his wife speaks English. Each parent or caregiver consistently speaks only one language to the child. Sometimes OPOL requires extra "language supplements,” such as playgroups, visits from family, a trip to the country, or a native speaking nanny or au-pair. It helps tremendously for your child to hear that his parent isn’t the only one who speaks this language. Kids are savvy little creatures who are quite capable of reasoning that they don’t really need to know a language if it is only spoken by one other person.

2) A second option, slightly less common but tremendously successful is Minority Language at Home (ML@H). It simply means that everyone speaks the minority language at home, even if this language is not the native language of both parents. It is probably the most reliable method for raising truly native speaking children since it ensures consistent interaction from birth until the child leaves home.

However, the ML@H parent has to be able to quell doubts and stay the course unwaveringly. When your child isn’t speaking the community language on the same level as his or her monolingual peers (generally the ML@H child doesn’t reach parity with them until around 5 years of age), it’s difficult not to worry. The McColloughs in Germany remember “We were watching other children jabbering away in complete German sentences, while Patrick seemed incapable of getting out two or three connected words.” Within months after starting preschool, however, he had transformed completely. “Now he can’t stop talking in either language.” Even when you know that your child is going to catch up, it can be daunting to watch him struggle. Some parents fear that he will never learn the primary language, even though this really only occurs when children are isolated from the primary language within a minority speaking community.

3) Frankly, any pattern that works for your family and provides enough interaction in the second language is fine. Examples of such variations are: (1) one language is spoken every day, the other on extended vacations to another country; (2) one language is spoken in a certain location (e.g. if the children attend an immersion program), the other at home.

As you can see, the raising of multilingual children is a flexible and highly personal process, so just adapt the basic language systems to something that fits your lifestyle. Even the most highly-trained athlete couldn’t finish a marathon in ill-fitting shoes, and all your training won’t help if you aren’t settled comfortably for the long haul. Remember, it isn’t all on you; you can find an immersion program, call upon grandparents, organize playgroups and schedule frequent visits to your country -- good for junior’s language, but just as helpful and fun for you.

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About the Author: Christina Bosemark is the founder of Multilingual Children’s Association, www.MultilingualChildren.org , the definitive guide to raising bilingual children featuring expert advice and real world wisdom with parent discussions, tips, articles, a resource directory and more. Ask us you most burning questions or share your own experience in our Forum!

Cow’s Milk Allergy and Babies

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By Charlene Nuble

Allergy to cow’s milk is the most prevalent form of food allergy that primarily affects children. Most infants and babies fortunately outgrow cow’s milk allergy during their second to third year of formula milk intake.

Like most allergies, cow’s milk allergies is not curable, but rather, they are treatable. In that sense, people and children born with it should live with dairy-free diets all their lives to avoid cow’s milk allergies.

A close look at cow’s milk

Regular cow’s milk is composed of carbohydrates or sugar, vitamins, water, minerals, fat and proteins. It is the protein in cow’s milk that brings about or serves as allergens that cause cow’s milk allergy.

Parents should also learn that breastfeeding infants is not an assurance that the baby would not develop the allergy. However, studies found that breastfed kids are less likely to form food allergies of any kind.

Mothers pass along cow’s milk proteins to their kids through breastfeeding. Thus, it would be more appropriate to say that it is not the mother’s milk that incur reaction, but the proteins that are mixed through the mom’s milk, which is attributed to the mother’s diet.

In some cases, some infants develop immunity to cow’s milk allergy during their breastfeeding years, but surprisingly develop cow’s milk allergy when they stop taking in mom’s milk for formula milk.

Symptoms of cow’s milk allergy

It would be easy to tell when an infant or a kid has developed cow’s milk allergy. Parents should be very observant of their children’s conditions so they could immediately seek professional and medical help at the onset of the allergy.

Babies with cow’s milk allergy exhibit skin rashes or eczema. Most cases, the babies experience diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramps or abdominal pains.

Because babies could not talk or complain about how they are feeling, parents should heed to their infants’ cries and discomfort. Constant and regular visits to the kid’s pediatrician would be really helpful.

However, it should also be noted that it is not only cow’s milk allergy that causes rashes, eczema, diarrhea and abdominal pain. In that regard, consultation to the pediatrician is needed so the parents would know the real disease discomforting the baby.

Early detection of cow’s milk allergy would be very helpful because early modification and elimination of dairies in the kid’s diet would be very beneficial and necessary over time.

Treatment and prevention of cow’s milk allergy

Severe symptom of cow’s milk allergy would need special prescription medications from the doctor. Usually, to treat such cases, antihistamines and epinephrine are administered to the patient.

Parents of children with cow’s milk allergy should also keep supplies of those drugs in their medicine cabinets because they would be necessary if ever the children would accidentally take in cow’s milk.

Infants and babies will be switched to hydrolystate or soy-based milk formulas from milk-based formulas. Remember, it is the protein contained in cow’s milk that cause the allergy so switching to another formula milk brand would not be helpful.

Mothers who breast-feed infants and babies diagnosed with cow’s milk should instead cut intakes or eliminate dairy products in their diet so the cow’s milk protein would not be passed on to the infants.

As general prevention measure, all formula milk based on cow’s milk should be eliminated on the baby’s diet.

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Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the AUTHOR'S resource box at the bottom of this article is included and and all links must be Active/Linkable with no syntax changes.

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Charlene J. Nuble 2006.

For answers to All your frequently asked questions about cow's milk allergy, please go to: http://cows-milk-allergy.allergyanswers.net/ or go to: http://allergyanswers.net /

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Help Protect Your Child's Vision From UV Rays and Eye Injuries

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(NewsUSA) - For children, sunshine and warm weather equal outdoor activity. For parents interested in their children's eye health, it's also the right time to get kids sunglasses and protective eyewear.

Many parents don't think about getting sunglasses for their kids, but everyone is at risk for eye damage as a result of exposure to the sun. And children might be at a higher risk because their developing eyes may be less protected from the sun's ultraviolet rays than those of adults.
Wearing sunglasses that block UV rays can help prevent eye problems such as cataracts and macular degeneration - two leading causes of blindness. Since UV damage is cumulative over a lifetime, it's important for kids to start wearing sunglasses as early as possible to potentially minimize this damage.

Sunglasses must block 99 percent to 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays to be effective. The darkness of the lens is not an effective indicator of how well the glasses protect eyes from UV light.

Consult an optometrist to choose the right sunglasses. They are the doctors who provide primary vision care, examining people's eyes to diagnose vision problems and eye diseases.
Obtaining this expert advice can be as simple as visiting your local Wal-Mart or Sam's Club Vision Center. Adjacent to each of the Vision Centers at these stores is an office staffed by knowledgeable, professional and licensed independent optometrists who can provide affordable and comprehensive eye examinations as well as prescriptions for glasses and contacts.
The American Optometric Association recommends comprehensive eye examinations by an eye doctor at 3 and 5 years of age for all children.

"Many children get a cursory eye check when they visit their pediatrician, but only an eye doctor is qualified to perform a comprehensive eye examination," says Dr. Melissa Viker, an independent optometrist who practices next to a Wal-Mart Vision Center.

The optometrist can also offer guidance when it comes to eye protection. Annually there are more than 40,000 sports-related eye injuries - many to children. More than 90 percent of these injuries could be prevented by wearing proper eye protection, such as sports goggles, which are designed for impact resistance, unlike regular eye glasses that could break upon impact and possibly cause serious injury.

Eye protection should be worn during any sport that involves physical contact or a ball, bat, stick, racket or puck.

"A child's vision is a precious commodity, but caring for it doesn't have to be expensive," says Viker. "Wal-Mart and Sam's Club offer expert advice, low-cost examinations and a wide selection of affordable eyewear to help parents provide children with a lifetime of good eye care."

To locate a Vision Center, log on to www.walmart.com.
Note to editors: This article is not for use or distribution in California.

Getting Your Child to Help With Chores

By Jennifer Houck

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Teaching Children responsibilities will pay off when they get older. Our children learn from us and it is the parent's duties to teach their children responsibilities. They may think we are being a little too demanding now, but later in life they will thank us for all the wonderful teachings.

My oldest daughter just turned three and we are implementing a chore chart. What is a chore chart you may ask? I have designed your own free kid chore chart and sharing it with you. Please read the description below to learn how a chore chart works.

A chore chart is where you place particular chores on a paper or even design a special mat. Put the days of the week along the top and the chores down the side. On each chore line down the side, make sure you designate which child the chore is for. For example, Dishes-Billy Bob, Setting the Table-Jane. When the child completes the chore then a sticker goes on that specific day. The parent comes up with a reward system in which will detail how many stickers equal a reward.

Keep in mind your child's age when designating chores. A three year old will definitely not be able to do the things an eight year old can. Make the chores fair so the children will be able to complete the tasks.

Children are learning responsibilities and the reward earning concept by having chore charts. They can see how life works by being rewarded for doing good work. Praise and smiles make a child's self esteem go higher.

Chore charts are a win-win concept for the whole family. Parents get help around the house and children are having run participating in chores and the rewards. Implement the chore chart concept in your house today and see how your children will actually want to do chores.

Jennifer Houck is the owner of the online Parent Center at http://www.ilovebeingamom.com to where you can find many more resources and tips to help in the daily journeys of raising our children. To get your free chore chart, just go to http://www.ilovebeingamom.com/free-kid-chore-chart.html

The Terrible Twos

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By Sylvia White

The terrible twos. Is it a myth or has your gorgeous baby developed into a fiend of mischief over night.

The change from baby to a young child can be quite painful for some parents but have you ever wondered why ?

The main problem is boredom, he or she has discovered that there is more to life than sitting playing with toys, the mind becomes active they want to be involved in what is going on around them.

Expecting your little treasure to sit contentedly while you get on with your daily tasks is now a thing of the past, he or she will want to take part in the running of the house and nothing is going to stop them.

As a baby life was almost routine, feeding times, bath time, nappy changing, bedtime, suddenly this has changed he now has more time on his hands as routines change with growing needs.

One way to avert this unsettling time is to cater for their every need which of course is an impossibility when you have a home to run.

Your little tot is on a learning curve and he is interested in all you do even to the point of wanting to copy so a visit to the Early Learning Centre is helpful.

At the age of two to three your Child does not know the difference between sexes, your son will happily play with a doll or a car and vice-versus so a few household type toys are useful.

A vacuum cleaner for a start so they can join in and do their bit, an iron and ironing board to keep them busy while you set about the ironing, a dustpan and brush so you can teach them to pick up the bits that are dropped.

A plastic painting or play mat is a good idea they are quite large and while you are washing the dishes you can sit them on the kitchen floor with a little bowl of water and a dolls tea set so they can copy what you are doing, any upsets that occur are easily cleaned up.

Give them a duster when you polish and when you empty the washing machine give them some small items to fold in their own way, or you can even buy two or three handkerchiefs and give them a wash each time so they have their own washing to deal with.

As you put your cleaning aids away try and get your child to do the same even storing them in the same place as yours. leaving them out for continuous play will spoil the enjoyment of doing the jobs and they will soon get bored with it, plus your child may learn the need to be tidy.

A daily walk to the shops or the park is a treat for any young child, point things out as you go and say the name it is surprising what they take in at this age.

If it hasn't already happened your child should now be ready for a nap so you can rest for a while or do whatever you want to do, the problem is that as your child gets older he will often fight against sleep and when that happens he can become irritable and appear naughty.

Instead of scolding try a bit of motherly love, nurse him for a while and if that fails a walk down the garden often works, he will either get over his tiredness or finally give way to the much needed nap.

A good practise is to start as you mean to go on by placing your child in the cot each day even when tiny, they will then be used to the daily ritual, this can continue until climbing becomes an obsession and the cot sides hold a challenge for him.

When they become bored with their toys a saucepan and wooden spoon will delight them and a cardboard box large enough for them to climb in will occupy them for an hour or more. Anything out of the ordinary that is safe will keep your child happy for varied lengths of time.

Each stage of your son or daughters life is a learning curve, as each year passes so your child will change and what he learns from you now will effect his future habits and behaviour.

Tantrums are not allowed and if this happens do not scream or shout at your child just let them get on with it, continue with what ever you are doing and ignore it, he or she will soon realise that you are not interested and they will get over the tantrum much quicker, they will eventually stop as they realise it does no good.

You are the person that will mould your child into the person you want him to be until he or she reaches the age where they can think and act for themselves.

Sylvia White is a Home Business Mentor, author and webmaster of http://www.sylviawh.co.uk
http://www.woweeitsfree.com
http://piggyinthemiddle.blogspot.com

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Raising Bilingual Children: The 5 Most Common Myths

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By: Christina Bosemark

“Doesn’t she speak English? Oh, I see -- both Swedish and English. Doesn’t that get awfully confusing? Swedish, you said -- when will she use that?” Get used to hearing these kinds of things. You’ll get opinions from the barista at Starbucks, your mother-in-law, even your neighbors and strangers on the street. Remember, being a trendsetter always ruffles some feathers, and the best way to deal with unsolicited advice (other than running for the door) is to know the facts for yourself.

Here are the most persistent myths on raising bilingual children:

“Your child will be confused by learning more than one language.”

This belief is prevalent in monolingual countries and has far more politics than science to back it up. Rest assured that your child's little brain has more than enough neurons firing to cope with two languages (or even more) without frizzing out. On the contrary, decades of research in countless studies actually show significant cognitive advantages to being multilingual. And what about the experience of millions of families around the world where multilingualism is the norm, not the exception? Just look at Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, and Finland -- to mention a few.

“I can see two languages, maybe, but more than that is too much.”

Considering how much babies have to learn in their first years of life, another language really doesn't add much to the load. As long the child is getting regular interactions in the second (or third) language, there won’t be problems. There is a reason why a two-year old child has fifty percent more synapses than an adult! Also, even if your child does not end up speaking all the languages, don’t underestimate the value of a passive language, i.e. understanding it but not yet speaking it. If you already understand a language it is magnitudes easier to learn it later in school or as an adult, compared to someone who’d never heard it before. So, even ‘just’ understanding another language is definitely not a wasted effort.

“Your kid is going to get all these languages mixed up.”

It is true that some mixing will occur, but that is both harmless and temporary. As the child builds her vocabulary in each language, this phenomenon automatically disappears. How many monolingual children automatically fix mistakes after correct usage has been learned?

For example, children begin by saying things like “Me want,” when they mean "I want." And how many of them are still saying, “Me want,” at five? Eventually, the multilingual child learns correct usage in the same fashion as any other child. If you don’t mix languages in your own conversation, it’ll make it much simpler for your child to remain consistent as well.

“Why start now? Later your kid will pick it up in no time.”

For all those who think it’s a huge intellectual burden on your child to grow up with multiple languages, there’ll be those who will tell you how easy it is. “Just go to a Spanish playgroup once a week. You don’t have to speak it yourself to her all the time!” This is highly unrealistic. Studies indicate that children need exposure to a different language about one third of their waking hours to become actively bilingual. They’ll understand a lot with less interaction, but they probably won’t be able to speak it themselves. Learning a second language is simple for children, relative to adults, but a child needs to hear a word thousands of times in all kinds of contexts before it sticks -- unless it’s a bad word, then miraculously you only have to say it once…

“Reading and writing in several languages? Some kids can’t even handle that in one language.”

It’s true that many children have difficulties reading and writing well. However, reading and writing is a ‘coding / decoding’ process and is not linked to the number of languages a child speaks, as such -- although it could involve multiple alphabets, and then be a bit more work. Interestingly enough, access to multiple languages actually makes it easier for children to understand the nature of language itself, which, in turn, improves overall literacy skills. Research supports what many parents have long felt: that multilingual children have better-developed linguistic understanding.

Still, if you are in a hurry or find that politely ignoring the groundless opinions thrown your way doesn’t work, you can always ask if they think Einstein’s intellect suffered growing up with both German and Italian. And, he didn’t start talking until he was three years old either, but he certainly seemed to make up for lost time.

Christina Bosemark is the founder of Multilingual Children’s Association, the definitive guide to raising bilingual children featuring expert advice and real world wisdom with parent discussions, tips, articles, a resource directory and more. Ask us you most burning questions or share your own experience here!

Establish Good Sleep Habits For Newborn Babies

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By: Ken Snodin

Babies must eventually learn how to sleep away from their mothers. This transition takes some time, and new parents can help by establishing good sleeping habits for their newborns. The added benefit of creating good sleep habits for the baby is that parents also get more rest!

Most recommendations focus on developing routines and habits for babies that encourage them to associate sleeping with nighttime. The sooner parents can get their children to associate bedtime with sleeping, the more likely the children will be able to go to sleep without making a fuss.

However, the transition period, the time that exists between being awake and going to sleep, is often overlooked in these recommendations. Several techniques can be applied during this period.

One technique is known as “fathering down.” Just before putting the baby into the bed, the father should cradle his baby so that the baby’s head lies on the father’s neck. The father should talk to his child gently. Babies are often soothed by a male voice because it is deeper than the female voice, and they may fall asleep more easily after hearing the father’s voice for a time.

Another technique is called “wearing down.” This can be especially effective if a baby has been active all day and is too excited to be put to bed easily. Put the baby in a sling or carrier and “wear” him or her for approximately 30 minutes before bedtime. Perform your usual tasks. The baby will experience an easier transition from wakefulness to sleep because of being close to you and being slowly rocked by your general movements before bedtime.

If these techniques fail, you may want to try “driving down.” This is a method of last resort and involves putting the baby in the car and driving around for a period of time until the baby falls asleep. While this method is somewhat inconvenient, it is usually effective. If you need some well-deserved rest, “driving down” is an attractive option.

Of course, you don’t want to get into the habit of driving the baby around in the car every night! And you don’t want to always carry the baby in sling before bed to encourage sleep. The idea is to use these techniques and slowly ease away from them. You should only use them during the major transition that your new baby experiences when he or she has never slept alone before. The baby does not know how to handle the transition, so you must teach him or her how to go from being awake to being asleep. These transition techniques can gradually be eliminated as the baby learns good bedtime habits, and both you and the baby can then have a good night’s sleep!

About the Author:Discover a collection of articles about babies and parenting by visiting http://babiestips.comRead more articles by: Ken Snodin Article Source: www.iSnare.com

My Baby is SICK - When to Contact Your Pediatrician and What to Say

By Barry McDonald

As a new parent, it is sometimes hard to know when your child is sick enough to need medical attention and when you are simply overreacting.

Does your concern stem from being a normal, novice parent with a lot of concern and very little experience? Or is your child really sick?

Of course you don’t want to make a mistake with your new baby’s health!

Here are some pointers that may help you determine when to call the doctor. As always, if you are TRULY concerned and you need reassurance, feel free to call your pediatrician for advice.
Understand that she/he is used to this cycle and that your doctor knows that if they can educate you, you will be a better parent and their investment will pay off. If you encounter a pediatrician who is less than understanding when he gets your phone call, FIND YOURSELF A NEW DOCTOR!

When you call your doctor, her advice will depend on the following general criteria:

The severity of your child’s symptoms

The frequency of your child’s symptoms

The doctor may give you a temporary solution to tide you over until you can get to the office, and he may tell you to call the office to make an appointment. OR, he may tell you to go to the emergency room if the symptoms or health problem is more severe and needs immediate attention.

The important thing to remember is not to panic. Be prepared to answer questions (we’ll go over this in a minute) and call your doctor’s office line. If you are calling at night, you will get an answering service and they will either have the doctor call you back or refer you to an ‘emergency pager’ number.

If your child displays any of the following symptoms, it is wise to call your pediatrician.

Fever – While it is common for children between 2 and 12 months to develop mild fevers, your doctor will decide whether your child should be examined or whether to simply monitor and treat the symptoms of the fever.

Vomiting or Diarrhea – Babies sometimes have soft stool (especially if you are nursing), and all babies ‘spit up’. If these symptoms are frequent or severe, you should call your doctor. If your baby has had diarrhea or vomiting for a day or two, your doctor will be concerned about dehydration.

Upper Respiratory Infections, Colds – Colds and viruses can be uncomfortable for a baby, but normally they are not of concern. However, if your child is having problems breathing, or problems eating because he cannot breathe through his nose, or if your baby is coughing or congested, you should call your doctor.

Ear or Eye Problems – If your baby is pulling on her ear or seems not to respond to your voice as usual, she may have an ear infection or congestion. This can be associated with fever and/or upper respiratory infection. Likewise, if your baby’s eyes are swollen or if you see any discharge from the eyes, call your doctor.

Cuts, Bumps, Bruises - As your baby begins to crawl and walk, he is likely to get a minor cut or bump on occasion. If you do not know how to treat these minor injuries or if the cut seems to take a long time in healing, call your doctor.

General Changes in Habits – If your baby’s appetite, sleep patterns, mood or motor skills seem to change drastically and if these changes are persistent, call your doctor. If your child is lethargic or irritable at times of day when he would otherwise be active or playful, and if these changes are persistent, call your doctor. If your child develops a rash all over his body or an unexplained rash (not diaper rash), call your doctor. Likewise, if your child’s skin tone changes (developing a yellowish color) call your doctor. This would typically occur within the first few weeks after you bring him home and could be a sign of jaundice, which is not unusual but does require treatment.

EMERGENCIES!

If your child has any of these symptoms, you should consider this an emergency and immediately call 911 or take your child to an emergency room (DO NOT attempt to drive your child to the Emergency Room if you are alone with the child). You will need someone in the car with you to care for your baby while you are driving.

In the event you and your child are alone when the emergency occurs, remain calm and call 911.
Seek emergency treatment if your child:

Has swallowed an unknown substance or a poisonous substance (like a household cleaner)

Is having seizures or is unresponsive

If your child has a serious wound or cut that will not stop bleeding or that may require stitches

If your child is having real problems breathing (labored, heaving breath or severe wheezing), and/or his skin tone is bluish or gray in color (look at the nails and lips, as this is where you will first see these signs appear)

If your child has a high fever (100.4 F rectally for 0-3 months, or 102 F or over when taken by ear or mouth in children older than 3 months)

If your child has sustained a head injury (with or without bruising or outward signs) and appears to be listless, dizzy, is vomiting or sleepy or is unresponsive

If your child cannot move or is having trouble moving arms or legs or controlling motor skills they have already mastered

If your child is choking or appears not to be breathing

When you contact a medical professional or take your child in for emergency care, you will be expected to provide answers to questions that will help the doctors, nurses and EMTs better care for your child.

Remain calm and be prepared to answer these questions:

How old is your child

Does your child have any known medical conditions or problems (including allergies to medications and/or foods)

What are your child’s symptoms (how long has this been going on, how frequently (in the case of vomiting/diarrhea, etc.)

How is your child responding (crying, listless, unresponsive)

Who is your pediatrician (if you are going to an emergency care clinic or hospital rather than calling your doctor directly, they will need to know your doctor’s name to contact her and let her know they are treating her patient and get her advice)

When was your child’s last doctor’s appointment? Do you have another one scheduled any time soon?

Has your baby been immunized? How recently, and for what? Has your baby had a tetanus shot? If so, when?

What changes have you noticed in your baby’s regular schedule lately, if any? (eating, bowel or urination habits, sleeping, mood, etc.)

Has anyone with a health problem or contagious illness been around your child recently? Have you fed your child anything different recently, or given him any new medication.

And lastly, be prepared to provide medical coverage information and the name of the pharmacy you use for your prescriptions.

The bottom line for all parents of children ages 1-12 months is to remain calm in the event your child has a health crisis or problem. At this young age, your child is incapable of caring for her own needs and is depending on you to make the right decisions. Don’t panic! Call your doctor if you feel you should, and let your intuition guide you in that respect. And, if it is an emergency, get your child to a doctor immediately!

Visit http://www.BabyInFirstYear.com and learn things like when your baby will need to see the doctor and what immunizations she will receive. How to introduce solid foods into your baby's diet and how to make your home safe for baby as he grows and much, more...

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barry_McDonald


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Developing Leadership Qualities In Your Child

By Esther Andrews

Often I have heard that leaders are born, not made. Do you
think this is true? How many times did you read a biography of
a great leader, and discovered that as a child, he has been
quiet, reserved and rather shy? Are those natural qualities of
a leader? Of course not! These people have developed their
leadership qualities later in life.

Would you like your child to be a leader?

What are the qualities of a leader? Here are some of the
qualities required to be a leader, and how you can encourage
the development of these qualities in your child.

Integrity - remember to be a good example, a role model for
your child. Parents teach by example, and integrity is a
quality kids learn from their parents. Talk with your child
about integrity. One tool that is very helpful is story
telling. Look for books that tell about the value of integrity.

Courage - always praise courage. When your child shows courage,
notice it and praise it. Praise courage wherever you see an
expression of it. Story telling is also very effective in this
case.

Creative, independent thinking. In order to develop this
quality, it is very helpful to ask questions. When you talk
with your child about any subject at all, always ask open
questions, that encourage creative thinking. Use the "One Step
Farther" principle. After you have gotten all the obvious
answers, ask one more question, to come up with a deeper, more
creative idea. Questions like "why", "what would happen if...",
"how do you think did it feel...", encourage your child to think
creatively. Talk to your child, encourage independent thinking.

In addition, it is also important to listen to your child. When
your child has a creative, unusual suggestion, never negate it
or laugh at it. Always treat your child's ideas with respect.

Confidence - this is one of the most important qualities
required for success in general. To develop confidence in your
child, avoid criticizing your child, praise your child
sincerely and often, develop a habit to talk about your child's
strengths and achievements with him every day. Remember to make
it a point to bring up at least one good quality of your child
every day. If you adopt it as a routine, over time it will do
wonders for your child. It takes only a few minutes to mention
an achievement or a strength (a good quality). Encourage your
child, repeat the phrase "you can do it" often.

A leader takes responsibility. When something goes wrong,
sometimes it makes us feel better if we can blame something
else or someone else. A leader takes responsibility. Make sure
your child knows that he is the "boss" in his life. His success
is his responsibility. We are not victims of our environment, we
have control over our life. Teach your child to "come from a
place of power". When your child blames someone else or
something else for a mishap, or comes up with excuses, you have
an opportunity to encourage your child to assume responsibility.
Make sure that your child knows that it is Ok to make mistakes.
Mistakes are an opportunity to learn. You can help your child
draw conclusions, without "making him wrong", by asking: "what
did you learn from this?", "what do you think went wrong?",
"why do you think this happened?", "how could you avoid this?"
and again "what do you think would happen if...?". Your child
should understand that he has no control over other people, and
is not expected to have control over other people's actions, but
he has full control over his own reaction. This will give your
child the feeling of power, as opposed to "being a victim".

The conversations that you hold with your child have a profound
effect on your child's future. Make sure you take the time to
talk with your child every day, to be involved with what is
happening in your child's life. To support, encourage and
inspire. By doing that, you are being a leader, and you are
developing your child's leadership skills.

About the Author: http://www.all-gifted-children.com For the
last 27 years, Esther Andrews has specialized in gifted
education. In her "The Manual Your Child Should Have Come With
- How to Develop Your Child's Genius" she is revealing how she
grew two profoundly gifted children and how you can do it to.
Check it out at http://www.all-gifted-children.com/package.htm

Source: http://www.isnare.com


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Is It a Good Idea to Let Kids Know that Sometimes there is No Absolute Truth?

By Joyce Svitak

The princess, who is beautiful and good, deserves the love and happiness she finds. The witch, who is evil and hideous, deserves humiliation and sorrow. Everybody gets what they deserve in the end, of course. That’s the way the world works. Or not.

My daughter Adora, who is eight, would call this sort of scenario ‘banal’. It’s one of her favorite words these days and she uses it all the time. Maybe she overuses it. But if you stop to think about it, a child’s world is suffused with the banal. They make construction paper turkeys to commemorate the ‘friendship’ between early settlers and Indian tribes, they sit through movies that feature singing tea-cups with lisps, and they watch children’s programming where morality is delivered up pre-packaged on a platter.

Adora is a writer. She’s been writing since she was four years old and published her first book at age seven. She just finished a political satire, and is now working on a short play that features a dialog between Tolstoy and Chekhov. One of the things people find most surprising about her writing is her ability to create complex characters. Her protagonists have flaws and her villains sometimes have moments of hesitation.
Many adults assume that children naturally see the world in black and white, in terms of good vs. evil. Is this really true? Or do we teach them, with incessant repetition and omission, a simplified version of morality that does not hold true in the real world?

As adults we know that all evil people are not ugly, fat people are not always jolly, greedy, or bumbling, and that good people sometimes have dark moments, dirty secrets, and a tendency to do the wrong thing. We know that the good guys don’t always win, and that, ultimately, sometimes there aren’t good guys and bad guys, but just people, lost in their own lives, and caught in the thrall of their own past.

And yet we teach our children, through story and through song, that right and wrong are fixed. Do we explain things in black and white terms because we are afraid that our children are unable to come to grasp anything more complex, and that without a strict moral compass they will be lost? Or do we explain things in black and white simply because it’s easier?

It’s easier to parent if your child thinks that smoking will make them a bad person and getting good grades will make them a good person. Explaining things in terms of black and white also takes less time, minimizes confounding questions, and reinforces parental authority.

Is it dangerous to encourage children to think for themselves? Is it dangerous to allow children access to information or literature that may frighten them? Yes. But it’s also dangerous to limit children. And it’s also dangerous to lie to children.

I’m not saying everyone should throw away their v-chips, hand their kids a copy of Blue Velvet, and take a field trip to Mai Lai. But I do think that taking the time to really explain things, giving kids the information they ask for, and avoiding the excessively ‘banal’ programming may be in order.
Adora is not a genius. She is a creative child who has been allowed to run wild with her ideas and questions. Children who equate education with freedom will blossom. I run an accelerated learning program and speak with many parents who complain that their children can not write, do not like writing, and create only pale imitations of what they read or see on TV. This is because they are not given access to the variety of information they need to mix-and-match, to absorb, process, and create anew. They are imitating a story because it's the only story they know. The witch is always ugly and the good guys always win. Bad people do bad things and good people do good things. And they all lived happily ever after.

Do you need to allow your children access to various versions of ‘the truth’ so that they can sit down and start on their satirical novellas? No. Does it matter if your child is capable of creating complex characters with realistic problems? Not really. But it is important that your child understands that people in the real world are complex, and that sometimes the answers to their problems do not come in black and white. When you answer a child’s questions truthfully, or to the best of your knowledge, when you encourage them to see more than one side of a story, you are widening their perspective and ensuring that their vision will not be narrow. Instead of widening the gap between what they are told and what they see, you can give them answers and questions that will help them come to terms with the realities they are beginning to observe around them.
Or you could pop in that copy of The Little Mermaid. You wouldn’t want to give them any ideas.

http://www.adorasvitak.com - 8 year old published author
Joyce Svitak is the co-author of Flying Fingers--Master the tools of learning through the joy of writing.

Her daughter Adora Svitak published the book at age seven, since then, the book has been translated into Chinese, Korean. It will have a new edition in UK this fall. Adora has toured many schools to present her writing workshop. Please visit her website at http://www.adorasvitak.com for more info.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joyce_Svitak



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Helping Your Child Make Friends

By Monicka Gregory

Having friends is a crucial part of our children's lives, as well as a way for children to learn social skills. We all want our children to enjoy lasting friendships; however, if your child is a little shy and seems reluctant to make friends sometimes a little help from Mom or Dad is a good idea.

If your child is on the shy side try helping them by providing positive social interactions without making them feel awkward or pushed. Play dates or other social interactions should be encouraged. This will give your child a chance to hone his social skills and increase his/her confidence.

We can't choose our children's friends so ask your child who he/she likes spending time with at school and contact the child's parents to suggest a get-together. Start by inviting one child over and keep the time short to start with. One or two hours is enough time to get to know each other. Any longer and they may start to squabble.

Make sure to provide games and activities for your child that he enjoys and is good at. This will help ensure that your child is comfortable and confident. Make a few suggestions but let your child pick the activity before the play date. It is a good idea to stay involved with your child and his potential
pal. Don't just leave them alone and hope it all works out. You can supervise a cooking or craft project but allow the children to do as much on their own as possible. If your child is uncomfortable with you always being underfoot respect his/her wishes but be available if there are any conflicts or they become bored and want to change the activity.

Try to arrange regular play dates with the same children. If things go really well you can suggest an outing such as going to a movie or some other activity. When your child is comfortable you can suggest that he or she has a play date at his/her friends house. Let your child know that you are only a phone call away and they can come home anytime.

It also helps to play with your child on a regular basis. It will give you an idea where your child's strengths are and where he or she may struggle. Your child may be awesome at video games but may have a hard time playing checkers or doing puzzles. These activities may frustrate your child and should not be included in a play date.

Try to find out what the flavour of the month is. Most children are often into some kind of fads such as certain trading cards or a special video game that everyone must have. The latest trend may not thrill you but it offers great bonding material and gives them something in common to talk about while they are forming a friendship.

It is also very important to talk to your child's teacher about any concerns you may have and have and work together on strategies to help your child make friends. Offer to volunteer in the classroom to get a good idea how your child interacts with his/her peers.

Most importantly try not to expect too much from your child. Never make your child feel like they are being forced to make friends. When a child is shy too much pressure can make a child feel even more insecure. Try not to focus on it and allow friendships to develop naturally. In most cases shyness and problems making friends for children is normal. But If your child constantly avoids eye
contact, seems withdrawn or avoids children all together it is time to talk to your family Doctor.

"A friend is one who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself."

Monicka and Cassie are editors of http://www.kidsgoals.com, a dynamic website for parents. Self esteem building and goal setting for kids, parenting advice and resources, educational games, crafts and learning activities for kids and preschoolers.

US KIDS - 1 YR

Monicka and Cassie have also authored "How to Help Your Child Succeed", a revolutionary approach to guilt-free parenting available at http://www.kidsgoals.com/chldsuc.shtml

Get your free fortnightly parenting newsletter at http://www.kidsgoals.com/parent-newsletters.shtml

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Monicka_Gregory



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Regression In Potty Training

By: Susanne Myers

Your child has done so well with her potty training. Then, all of a sudden she starts wetting her pants, hides to do “her business” or asks for a diaper or pull-up. What happened?

Don’t Get Frustrated
Even though seeing your child go backward in this important developmental step can seem very frustrating, don’t let it get to you. Your child will feel your frustration and feel even worse than she already does about going back to diapers.

Instead look at it as a natural development she is going through. Keep encouraging her to use the potty and most importantly, don’t make her feel ashamed about wetting her pants. Yelling, calling her names or punishing her for her accidents will only make matters worse. Be the loving and nurturing parent that she needs right now, since there is usually a good reason for her regression.

Determine The Cause Of The Regression
As I mentioned, there is usually a good reason why your child is regressing in her potty training, even though it may not be obvious to you right away, or you may not connect the cause with potty training. Did you move recently, change daycare, or had a new baby? Even very young toddlers can express what is bothering them if you take the time to find out. Spend some extra time with your little one, play in the floor or read some stories together and see if she doesn’t give you some hints about what is bothering her and causing her to give up on the potty idea – for now.

Be Encouraging
Keep encouraging your child to go to the potty. Keep a positive attitude and don’t force the issue, but keep it in your toddlers mind. Ask her every few hours if she would like to go to the potty. Don’t make a big deal out of it when she goes in her diaper, or clothes. Change her and ask her to use the potty next time. When she does decide to use the potty again, be sure to give her lots and lots of praise.

Be Patient
With all your support and encouragement your child will soon jump back into a routine of using the potty and this little phase of going back to diapers will be over. Just remember to relax, avoid getting frustrated, or at least don’t let your child notice your frustration, find out if there is an underlying cause and above all be encouraging and patient. Remember you are your child’s biggest cheerleader when it comes to mastering potty training.

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For more information about potty training, potty training tips and a free ecourse to help you potty train your child visit www.mypottytraining.com



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Is Being A Stay-At-Home Mom Meant For Everyone?

By: Barbara Desmarais

When I was growing up in the 50’s and 60’s virtually everyone I knew had a stay-at-home mom but of course in those days no one ever used such a term. It was the norm and most mothers didn’t even consider the alternative. I think I had two friends whose mothers worked outside the home and that was when they were all almost in high school.

Times have changed dramatically. I’ve worked with hundreds of young parents over the years and most of them go back to work after their baby’s first birthday. Here in Canada mothers are given a one year paid maternity leave. I know in other parts of the world it’s much less. Some only get six weeks. Most of these mothers go back out of economic necessity. It’s now very difficult to raise a family on a single, average annual salary. I talk to many mothers who agonize over having to leave their baby and go back to work. They would give anything to stay home.

I have always considered myself a stay-at-home mom because although I’ve always worked at least part time, I’ve always been available to my kids before and after school and when they were very young, I sometimes worked in the evenings when my husband was home. I wouldn’t have had it any other way and knew it was the best decision for me and my family. My husband is a busy professional who puts in long hours and I knew I would be able to provide the balance we needed.

Throughout my years coaching parents and presenting workshops, I’ve come to realize there are mothers who do have a choice of whether or not to stay home and they’ve chosen to go back to work. They have found that they make better mothers when they are doing what they love. Some say that they just couldn’t handle being with a toddler all day long. Others say the resentment they felt brought out their worst. They constantly felt irritable and frustrated. Although many will say they admire mothers who stay home and find fulfillment in doing so, they have concluded that it’s just not for them.

I’m going to be honest and admit that I used to be quite judgmental towards women who chose to go back to work when their kids were very small, when they had the choice. I would say things like: “Why did they bother having kids if they weren’t prepared to be with them?’ Or, I would say: “How could a mother possible leave their baby in the care of someone else and go back to work?”

I can say now that I’ve changed my perspective and know those women who decide to go back to their job outside the home, do so because they know it’s best for the whole family. They are being true to themselves. They are women who are living with integrity. They in fact will report that the time they spend with their kids is far more enjoyable and positive than when they were home. They may be getting less of their mother but they’re getting the best of her. How can we say that’s a bad thing?

Article by:
Barbara Desmarais is a parenting and life coach and host of "The Parenting Coach Show" on the internet radio station, Snippet Radio -
www.snippetradio.com. Visit her website at www.theparentingcoach.com. She can be reached at barb@theparentingcoach.com

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Preparing Your Toddler for a New Baby

By: Alice Seba

It's a big change for an once only child to become a big brother or sister. It can be a threatening and scary experience. If, as parents, you help your child understand the joys of being an older sibling, you can help ease some of your child's stress. Here are a few tips for preparing for the new arrival:

1. Don't hide your pregnancy from your toddler. He may overhear mysterious conversations or see that mom is not feeling well and worry. In addition, letting your toddler know gives him more time to adjust to the idea. If you have a high risk pregnancy, you need to decide a "safer" time to tell your child.

2. Don't blame the baby! If you are unable to pick up your child because of a sore back, tell your child it is because of your back - not because you're pregnant.

3. Make inevitable changes in your toddler's life early, so it doesn't seem like it's all because of the baby. If your toddler will be giving his crib to the baby, allow your child to sleep in his "big boy" bed several months in advance.

4. Include your child in the pregnancy. Bring him to a couple of prenatal visits, if he's interested. Let him hear the child's heartbeat and view sonogram/ultrasound pictures.

5. Talk about the baby and what it means to be an older sibling. Tell your toddler how his younger brother or sister will learn from him and look up to him. If he's interested, he will also be able to help with the new baby by bringing clean diapers to the diaper changer, showing the baby toys, telling baby all about the world and more.

However you plan for the new arrival, be sure to consider your toddler in your planning. Discuss your toddler's concerns with him, but don't bring up concerns he doesn't mention. There is no need to create worry when there is none. Most of all, enjoy this wonderful time together - it will never be quite the same again.

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Visit www.babyandtoddlerville.com and sign up for free weekly tips that will take the mystery and fear out of parenting your precious little one.



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Survey: Parents Need the Facts About Injury Risks to Children

(NewsUSA) - A national survey of 1,000 parents found that many don't know key facts regarding potential safety hazards for children.

Among the survey's findings: One in three parents are unaware that children can drown in as little as 2 inches of water. Less than half of parents know falls are the leading cause of unintentional injuries to toddlers. And more than half underestimate how long children should be in a booster seat.

"Particularly in the area of car safety seat usage, parental knowledge tends to decrease as children age," said Dr. Michael Gittelman, an emergency room pediatrician and medical adviser to "Get on Board with Child Safety," a national child injury prevention initiative. "Parents need targeted information about the different unintentional injury risks to children as they grow, from infant stage to toddlers to kids and all the way through adolescence."

Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for U.S. children ages 14 and under. "Get on Board with Child Safety" was spearheaded by the children's brand "Safety 1st" and the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions. They offer the following tips for parents:

* Use a booster seat for children up to 8 years or 80 pounds. Adult seat belts usually do not fit such children properly unless they are in booster seats. When the belt sits too high in the abdominal and neck areas, it can cause serious injuries in an auto crash. Your child is approximately half as likely to be injured when using a booster seat instead of a seat belt alone.

* Always have your children wear a helmet. Bike injuries send hundreds of thousands of kids ages 5 to 14 to the emergency room each year.

* Supervise the trampoline. Approximately 90,000 kids visit the emergency room each year after a trampoline injury. Trampolines are even more dangerous when multiple kids are jumping at once or when a child does somersaults.

* Never leave children unattended in or near the water. Install gates around pools and use doorknob covers to prevent toddlers from getting out of the house and into water without supervision. Always drain small pools when not in supervised use.

For more safety tips, log on to www.getonboardwithsafety.com .

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Helping Toddlers Learn Through Make-Believe

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By: Sherry Frewerd

Kayleen is serving tea and muffins to Oscar the Grouch while sporting a faded felt snowman hat. Not too far away, C.J. is holding a baby doll and gently taking her temperature with a big plastic thermometer. What do these two year olds have in common? They’re both engaging in the time-less activity of ‘make-believe’ play.

Through make-believe, young children learn about themselves and the world around them. Little babies playing pat-a-cake are making believe. Depending on the age of the child, their role playing games will vary. Imaginative children don’t need fancy toys or equipment to pretend; they’re happy with a box and a toilet tissue roll. When they engage in pretend play with a variety of objects, they’re learning life skills that will help them as adults.

We’ve all watched little kids playing dress-up or ‘house.’ Children can create an imaginary world anywhere – when molding clay animals, when helping mom or dad match-up socks (sock puppets are the best after all.) If they’re this creative with just a sock, then think what they can do with special make-believe props.

Often parents feel that their children require expensive furniture and household equipment for pretend play. Remember the little boy with the refrigerator box in his back yard when you were a kid? Everyone showed up to help build limitless structures and the play would go on for hours, or until the box fell apart. Oh well, the hours spent cooperating together and using colorful imaginations were worth far more than any expensive jungle gym or playhouse.

What spurs the imagination of a toddler or preschool age child? What type of ‘props’ should parents provide to encourage make-believe even further than what kids will do naturally? Here are just a few ideas:

Dress-Up – hats, jewelry, scarves, shoes, dresses and shirts, purses or backpacks
Kitchen – lots of plastic bowls with lids, kid size broom/mop/dustpan, towels, spoons, measuring cups, pots and pans with lids
Family – blankets, pillow, both male and female baby dolls, old or toy cell phones, boxes of various sizes for baby beds
House – kid size table, cardboard boxes to serve as appliances, furniture or TV, full-length mirror

Playing make-believe encourages little children to play together, and is perfect for play groups and for helping shy children overcome anxiety. Little children have boundless ideas for creative play, but love it when parents or caregivers take part in the activity. Many times, imaginative play can help parents realize that their child is fearful or worried about something in particular. Helping them talk about their fears through make-believe will often lessen the child’s stress and bring you closer to your child.

Encourage your child’s imagination through make-believe with simple and inexpensive toys and props. Your refrigerator box may fall apart, but the fun of building it will last forever.

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About the Author: Sherry Frewerd is a Family Child Care Provider and publishes ‘Family Play and Learn’ a play and learning resource for Toddler and Preschool Learning Activities familyplayandlearn.com

5 Must Ask Questions for Anyone Potty Training A Toddler

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By: Susanne Myers

If you are thinking about starting to potty train your toddler, there are a few questions you should ask yourself before you begin potty training. Being well prepared for this challenging transition from diapers to potty is one of the best things you can do to make this as easy as possible on your child.

1. Is My Child Ready?
You want to start potty training at just the right time. You will know that your child is ready when he or she gets more interested in you going to the potty, tells you right away when the diaper is wet or pulls on it and seems uncomfortable with it. Give potty training a try, if your child doesn’t seem ready despite the signs, wait a few weeks and try again.

2. Am I Ready?
Just as important as your child being ready is that you are ready. Prepare yourself mentally for the transition from diaper to potty for your child. You will need a lot of patience and understanding. There are going to be resentment, tears and the occasional accident. Make sure you are prepared for this so you can stay calm and supportive for your child.

3. Do We Need A Potty Chair?
A regular toilet is very intimidating for a child. The seat is rather large and your child will have to hold on to avoid falling in. In addition “things” vanish in there when you flash – which can be a pretty scary thought for your child. Many kids are more comfortable with a potty chair at first. After a few weeks you should be able to move on to a potty seat insert that fits on your regular toilet eliminating the potty cleanup.

4. Should We Use A Potty Doll?
A potty doll is not a necessity when it comes to potty training, but can be a great tool. A potty doll will pee like an actual child and usually comes with diapers, panties and a potty chair. The doll can help tremendously during the pre-potty training phase when you are getting your child used to the idea of going in the potty instead of the diaper. You can illustrate what’s supposed to happen on the doll and let your child warm up to the idea by playing with the doll in the same fashion. When you are ready to potty train, put the doll on the potty right next to your child.

5. Should We Use Potty Training Rewards?
Before you start potty training, you should decide if you are going to use some sort of rewards as encouragement for your child, or if you will simply make your child feel great about his successes by being his cheer leader. Simple potty training rewards can include stickers, candy like a few jellybeans or M&M’s, or you can use some sort of tracking chart for bigger rewards (i.e. If you use the potty for an entire week without accident, you get a small toy). Using simple rewards can be a great potty training tool, but it isn’t by any means necessary as long as you get the message across to your child that you are proud of him.

Take a few minutes to answer these potty training questions for yourself and go over them with your spouse as well to ensure you are on the same page before you start potty training your child. It will help you give your child a clear picture of what you are both trying to accomplish and will cut down on any confusion.

Article by:
For more information about potty training, potty training tips and a free ecourse to help you potty train your child visit www.mypottytraining.com

Choosing The Best Shopping Cart Cover 4 Kids

By Tabatha Nothaft

IMPORTANT INFORMATION - You Need To Know BEFORE

You Purchase A Shopping Cart Cover:

Does it cover 100% of the seating area?

The main purpose for using a shopping cart cover is to protect your child from germs and bacteria found on shopping carts and restaurant high chairs. If your cart cover doesn't cover everything your child touches, your child can still pick up harmful germs and become sick. Make sure the cart cover you choose puts a barrier between germs and your child. Also, if the whole seating area is covered, it provides protection from dirty,hot, pollen,cold, and wet carts.

Does the shopping cart cover come with its own safety belt?

Children need to be strapped in to prevent injuries. How many times have you seen carts with broken or missing seat belt straps? How clean do you think the cart straps are? Would you let your child teeth on them? If you use a contaminated seat belt, it defeats the purpose of covering the seating area. Your shopping cart cover should come with its own safety belt to secure both your child and the cart cover to the cart. Never use your cover with the belting provided with the cart - it is germ infested. The cover safety belting should be weaned thru the metal bars every use - as with all baby products,
ADULT SUPERVISION IS REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES!!!! This is a product not a babysitter

Is the cart cover machine washable?

A shopping cart cover should make your life easier, not harder. With your busy schedule, you want something that is easy to care for. We all know that children can spill their snacks and drinks. You will want to wash your shopping cart cover to keep it clean for your child. Avoid chenille and silkie fabrics, if your child has allegeries chenille is not the way to go, silkies should be avoided if you have a baby girl with earrings, they may get their earrings stuck to the silky fabric.

How easy is the cart cover to install and remove?

If you are like most parents, you have your hands full. You will want a cover that can be installed with one hand while you hold your baby in the other. Ease of installation and removal is important...especially if you have a young child or multiple children. It should be quick and simple or you are likely not to use it every time.

Does it fit in restaurant high chairs?

Restaurant high chairs are almost as dirty as the grocery carts. Many times they are sticky and have leftover crumbs from another child. We wash our children's hands before they eat. Shouldn't we make sure that what they touch while sitting at the table is also clean?

How much or little padding does the cart cover have?

A child will require more padding for comfort and protection from the bars and metal on the cart. Remember over stuffed or extra padded covers is not the best they are cumbersome and can cause a SUFFOCATION HAZARD to a sleeping infant. Felt or quilted fabric any other thin material is a complete waste of money.

Does the shopping cart cover come with a Tote Bag or Travel Bag?

Covers with a carry bag or tote bag are the best, they make traveling much simpler. If a cover does not come with some type of carrying system, you will have to take around a large cumbersome cover with you, mommy*s biggest wish is for that 3rd arm!.

Does the cover come with pockets?

Pockets can be a very convenient way to store things without having to lug a full diaper bag in everytime you go somewhere. Pockets can hold diapers, wipes, toys, wallets, cell phones, and keys.

Velcro or zippers to close pockets are not a good idea since they may cause your child to get scratched when trying to remove something from the pocket. If the pockets are open, the child can get into them freely. Also check to see where the pockets are located. Are the pockets next to the child, one pocket behind the seat and out of the child's reach is perfect for placing their bottle or sippy cup when not in use to avoid dripping into the seating area of the cart.

Does the cart cover have toy loops?

Loops on a cover are great for attaching toys or pacifiers to keep the child content. Attaching them also keeps them off the dirty floor.

Does the cover fit in oversized or double carts?

If you shop a lot at Sam's Club, Costco, or BJ's, their carts are usually extra large. Will your cover be large enough to cover the oversized seating area?

One cover with dual purposes is the best, large carts, small carts and park swings, high chairs all in one cover is the IDEAL Shopping Cart Cover 4 You!

http://www.covers4kids.com
http://www.shoppingcartcovers4kids.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tabatha_Nothaft

Special Natural Skin Care for Babies

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By: Sherry Frewerd

We spend hours and countless amounts of money on our own personal skin care, trying different lotions and potions to find the perfect product for our needs. Our babies deserve the same special attention when selecting skin care products as well.

Babies and little children seldom actually need lotions and creams unless they have dry skin. Commercial products on the market contain synthetics and chemicals that can be harsh on tender skin, so many parents are opting for natural skin care and bath products for their babies.

For babies and toddlers especially, the skin care product most frequently used are baby wipes, and the perfumes and dyes found in commercial brands can play havoc with their sensitive bottoms. Parents use baby wipes not only at diaper changes, but for all sorts of reasons, cleaning little faces and hands being two very common tasks. Although possible to find brands with little synthetics, another alternative is to make home-made baby wipes to make certain the ingredients are all natural.

Another skin care problem parents with babies face is diaper rash. Even with the best of changing routines, diaper rash can occur, and frequently applying chemical rash creams can often aggravate the problem even more, causing prolonged discomfort for baby. Help prevent diaper rash with frenquent diaper changes and cleaning baby with natural soap and water.

Natural Baby Wipes

1/4 cup aloe vera juice
4 drops lavender essential oil
1/2 roll paper towels cut lengthwise
1/4 cup water
2 drops tea tree oil

Simply mix the ingredients and store in a plastic container.

There are many natural baby and child skin care products available online. Marlo Quinn is a new natural skin care company with impeccable skin care products for families. It’s also possible to prepare natural baby skin care wipes at home using the recipe above. Products made from natural ingredients are the best choice for babies and children.

Article by:
Sherry Frewerd is a Founding Team Leader for Marlo Quinn natural soy candles and skin care products for Women, Men and Children www.marloquinn.net /index.asp?consultant=15 Visit ‘Natural Bath Body and Home’ naturalbathbodyandhome.com for more information about pampering yourself everyday!

Creative Ways to get Fruits and Vegetables into your Children

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By: Anne Arsenault

Use these creative ways to get fruits and vegetables into your child.

Leave a container of veggies and dip in the fridge for them to eat when they feel hungry. Cut the veggies in fun shapes; get a book on vegetable garnishes. Have a "make your own pizza" night, provide lots of veggie toppings. Take them out for Chinese food, order "Chop Suey" (make sure to ask for no MSG). Feed them a "Rebar", which contains many vegetables and fruits and it tastes like a fruit leather.

Make a Fruit Salad, have an older child help cut it up with a plastic knife. Make Fruit Garnishes. Cut up chunks of fruit and place on a wooden skewers, or put on toothpicks and stick them into a cut up melon. Let the children make their own masterpeice. Make fruit Pizza, use a yogurt for the sauce and do not bake.
Make a fruit smoothie, start with a banana, add frozen berries, milk, or even protein powder. Feed them dried fruits, or a bar like "Perfect 10", made of dried fruits.

Keep a few choices around and let them decide which one they'll have .

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Anne is the creator of www.healthbrights.com where she writes a monthly Healthy Living Tips Newsletter. She has been helping people gain better health for over ten years.

Help Your Children Lose Weight Now

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By: Anne Arsenault

What is more important than the Health of your Children? A Healthy Child is one who is NOT overweight, but what do you do if your child is overweight?
First, you look at the reasons he/she is overweight, then you make a plan with one goal each week, in order to help your child lose weight. You encourage him or her, you DO NOT put them down or be-little them about their weight. Keep a journal to document the reasons and the progress of the weight loss.

So what are the reasons children (and adults) are overweight these days:

*not enough exercise
*too much sugar (white flour also turns into sugar)
*too much soda pop (even one a day is too much, including diet)
*too much fruit juices
*not enough pure water
*too much flour products, especially white flour products
*too much baked goods, donuts are the worst
*too much bad fats, fried fats like chips and fries

For the first week, look at the drinks that are consumed. How much soda pop is drank in a day? How much juice do they drink; is the juice even 100% real juice, or 10% real juice? What is the other 90%? How many glasses of purified (not tap) water do they drink in a day? Reduce the soda pop and juice and add more water. Water will help not just with weight loss, but also with temperature regulation (they will handle the heat better), cleansing and energy.

For the second week, get more exercise Even going for a 20 minute walk will provide movement that is beneficial for the body. It will help the body to cleanse and the blood sugar to regulate. When doing homework ,watching TV or on the computer, get up and stretch every 15 minutes or so. If you make a point to go for a walk with your child, you can also use that time for a little communication.

The third week, look at the sugars and white flour they eat. Add more fiber; use a Sprouted Grain Bread, eat more fruits and veggies, eat more low fat proteins. Read the labels, there is a lot of sugar in processed foods. Cut back on the sugars gradually, as if you go cold turkey, you will experience head aches and other symptoms because sugar is a drug. White flour turns into sugar in the body, because the fiber is removed and fiber slows the release of sugar into the blood stream.

For the fourth week, look at the fats they consume. How much of their diet are hydrogenated or fried fats? Our bodies desperately need fats, but we tend to eat mostly the bad fats. Good fats that we should feed our families are:
*olive oil
*fish oils
*raw nuts and seeds
*flax oil
*coconut oil

How do we get these fats into our children and keep the bad fats away? When you consume enough good fats, the cravings for the bad fats start to diminish. The good fats feed the brain, protect the organs and keep the hair and skin healthy. Use olive oil to make salad dressing (Greek salad is good), buy some raw nuts and seeds, cook fish more often, and make protein blender drinks with a spoonful of flax oil in it. (1 tablespoon per 100 lbs).


When you start to change the diet, reduce the unhealthy foods and incorporate the healthy foods, the body will start to lose weight on its own. It is a slower proccess, but this is the healthy way to lose weight. Remember to read those labels on foods and drinks, drink more pure water, be aware of what is consumed in a day, be the example to your Child and don’t forget to get more exercise.

Article by:
Anne has been helping people get healthier, both by consulting and writing for years now. She has written a book on Children's Health and you can find more information at www.childhealthebook.com. She feels that Children's Health is the most important health issue facing us today.

Do Disposable Diapers Make Potty Training Harder?

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By: Susanne Myers

Yes, I think disposable diapers make potty training harder. If you look at the average age a child was potty trained even just a generation ago, you can see that kids now take a lot longer to give up the diaper in exchange for using the potty. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons that modern disposable diapers make it harder for your child to be potty trained and what you can do to make it easier on him or her.

One of the biggest improvements that has been made in the disposable diaper industry over the last decade, is how quickly the diapers absorb moisture. The obvious advantage of this is that it keeps baby’s skin try and prevents diaper rash. The disadvantage is that your child does not feel when he or she gets wet. There is no uncomfortable wet and squishy thing hanging around his bottom. Everything is perfectly dry and comfortable. So why should your child bother with a potty if there is nothing wrong with peeing and pooping in his diaper.

The disposable diaper industry has of course picked up on this fact and is not catering to the parents of 3 to 5 year olds. We see pictures of children in this age group on diaper packages, baby and parenting magazines and of course in the diaper company ads. Which brings us to reason number two why children are getting potty trained later.

It has become socially acceptable to have an older child use diapers. Preschools and Day Care Centers are now catering to the parents of these children by allowing children to attend who are not completely potty trained. There is no social pressure on parents at all to get their child potty trained. Combined with the fact that the diapers don’t feel wet anymore, it is easy for parents to miss the moment when their child is ready to give the potty a try.

So, what other options do you have as a parent? You could use cloth diapers for a while to make sure your child feels when he is wet, or let him go in regular underwear with a pair of protective plastic panties over it. If the weather allows, let him run around bare bottom outside, or do the same inside, keeping a close eye on him so you can drag him to the bathroom when needed.

Other than that, just give potty training a try every once in a while. Sooner or later you will catch the right time and get your little one potty trained.


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For more information about potty training, potty training tips and a free ecourse to help you potty train your child visit www.mypottytraining.com

Baby and Toddler - Dealing With Tantrums

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By Michael Russell

Don't you wish there was a miracle elixir to give your toddler when they are having a tantrum? While it isn't possible to make tantrums disappear altogether, there are ways to moderate or minimize them.

First of all stay calm. You will be adding fuel to the fire if you lose your cool. A parental blow up can also terrify your child. Your child will already be off balance with their tantrum, they will be in balance with your calming influence and reassurance and love. This calm approach will not work immediately and will not be easy to pull off but you will eventually see that your efforts are being mirrored in your child's increasing self control.

Speak softly. Try to fight the temptation to scream over your child. It will only encourage them to scream louder as they try to recapture the center stage. A gentle and soft tone of your voice will show that you are in control and it will help your child to regain composure. Also being unable to hear what you are saying, they may quiet down out of curiosity about what you are saying to them.

Never resort to physical punishment. This is a bad idea at any time. You would be punishing the child for something that they cannot control and because you too could lose control and cause serious injury. Don't try to reason with your child during a tantrum. Your out of control toddler is well beyond reason. Logic will be lost on them, so save the rational explanation for rational times.

Try to protect your toddler while they are having a tantrum. A toddler who is kicking and screaming will not be aware of their surroundings and could hurt themselves. Make sure there are no objects in the way that could possible injure your child. Also make sure that will not be any damage to the store or their property.

Attempt to express some empathy. Not sympathy. Say something like, "I know it is hard not to get something you want, I too get upset sometimes when I can't get what I want". This is empathy. Saying you're sorry is sympathy, don't go there, that could make it worse.

Holding your child tight, don't squeeze too hard, but a firm hold may help your child to hold it together, a firm hold can also dissolve anger in them and in you and often will turn into a hug when the tantrum passes.

One of the best methods to help control a tantrum is to ignore it. They may get it out of their system faster. This approach is especially effective if the toddler's demands are outrageous and you suspect that they know that as well as you do. Go about your business and make it obvious that you are not paying any attention. When you begin to systematically ignore their tantrums, they may increase for a while and then eventually your toddler will discover that it is not worth getting all worked up when there is no audience and then the tantrums should become less frequent.

Michael Russell
Your Independent Baby and Toddler guide.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

Should You Just Let Your Children Be Creative?

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By Joyce Svitak

Kids are weird. Watch them playing and try to tell me differently. I recently found my daughters happily ‘polishing’ their wooden play set with hand soap and conditioner. When asked what they were doing they said they were turning it into a rock museum and that it needed sprucing up. Adora, my eight year old, likes to think that our back deck is actually a pirate ship called ‘The Bloody Cutlass’, though Adrianna, who is ten, favors ‘The Devil’s Knife’.

Adora and Adrianna have both been labeled writing prodigies, but their imaginations, though brilliant, are nothing out of the ordinary. Most kids have an imaginary pirate ship or two up their sleeves.

Why then, do these same kids claim that they don’t know what to write about? How do we transmit this natural talent for make-believe to paper? How do we harness the power of imagination?

For starters, we stop using words like ‘harness’. Kids don’t want to be harnessed and they can see that sort of thing coming from a mile away. The real trick is to ‘unharness’ your child’s mind. Due to the rigid requirements of standardized testing, children have learned to associate writing with dull book reports, finicky grammar and punctuation requirements, and endless rules.

If your children don’t display a natural interest or aptitude for writing it’s best to blow the rules out of the water and just encourage them to let loose, to get it all down, and to think about conventions later. Don’t bug them about grammar, punctuation, structure, etc. Don’t encourage them to write about ‘constructive’ things. Encourage them to write about their real opinions of school or rules, or encourage them to get as off-the-wall as possible. Once your children realizes the sheer joy of expression and comes to think of writing as a place without rules or censorship, they will begin to think of writing as a form of entertainment. This is key.

Did I just say no censorship? I did. Kids have a fascination with vulgar, disgusting, and forbidden things. If writing becomes a place where they are free to explore and to express opinions or fascinations they are not allowed to express in ‘polite’ society, writing will have the allure of true freedom. An allure, as we all know, that is hard to match.

If your encourage your kids to let loose and tell them that there are no rules or boundaries they may write some stuff you don’t approve of. They may write stuff that is grammatically incorrect, full of structural errors, or just plain bad. But I can almost guarantee that they will get caught up in the mischief and novelty of being allowed to do whatever they want, and that they will come out of these exercises with a different attitude about writing.

Once your child actually likes to write, you have all the time in the world to work on conventions, grammar, and content. Because a love for writing, once established, is hard to squelch. Love leads to talent, and writing talent leads to mastery of all subjects. It’s a little known secret that the pirate ship ‘The Devil’s Knife’ can sail your child to academic success.

Joyce Svitak is the co-author of Flying Fingers--Master the tools of learning through the joy of writing Her daughter Adora Svitak published the book at age seven, since then, the book has been translated into Chinese, Korea. It will have a new edition in UK this fall. Adora has toured many schools to present her writing workshop. Please visit her website at http://www.adorasvitak.com for more info.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joyce_Svitak